


Cowboy Take Me Away

by suzukigunichiban



Category: All Elite Wrestling, Being The Elite (Web Series)
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, old west au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:35:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23517784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzukigunichiban/pseuds/suzukigunichiban
Summary: Clementine was a sucker for a good cowboy story.
Relationships: Adam Page/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 8





	Cowboy Take Me Away

**Author's Note:**

> this one’s for the hangman gang, man. love you all with my whole ass heart. also welcome emi, von, ash and lemon to the DFU - the Dirt Fanfic Universe

Working in her tiny little town’s only saloon as the sole barmaid meant that Clementine Abbot heard everything about everybody in the whole county - maybe even the whole  _ state.  _ Even stone cold sober, most patrons that wandered in, slick with sweat from the miserable sun and covered in dry dirt from a hard day’s work, were willing to spill their whole life’s story to the young Clementine. Let alone when they were drunk, and she got to hear all of their dirty secrets. 

She wasn’t much of a gossip, she swore it, so when the first few customers started strolling in for the day, she usually let it go in one ear and out the other. Clementine  _ really  _ didn’t need to know about who was cheating on whose wife with whoever’s husband, it was none of her business. 

That wasn’t to say she didn’t listen to a few things here and there, of course. There was plenty going on in town that  _ wasn’t  _ about childish drama that Clementine felt she simply didn’t have time in her day for. She had many regulars that she’d call friends that she  _ loved  _ hearing stories from. 

For instance, Mr. Sami Zayn and his lovely wife, Emiliana, who ran the local school hand in hand, had countless stories for Clementine about their day to day life, both as teachers and as a newly-wed couple. She  _ lived  _ for those stories - Sami seemed to be a bit of a clutz more often than not, but his wife took it all in stride, only looking up at her husband with love and admiration as she teased him about something or other, a look that she received right back from the man himself.

And then another newlywed couple, who never really seemed to say much, but Clementine knew they ran the orchard on the outskirts of town that had the  _ best  _ lemons and oranges in the whole damn  _ state,  _ who’d come in once in a blue moon, and  _ show  _ Clementine rather than  _ tell  _ her all sorts of stories in the way they’d tenderly rest their hands on each other and never seemed to move move than a few inches without the other following. 

Then, there was the dynamic duo of the two best friends Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy, who never failed to bring a smile to Clementine’s face. Their stories weren’t quite like any of her other regular’s - they prefered telling her either false, but fantastical stories they’d imagined on their long rides to and from their trading outposts, or actual (but still highly dramatized) retellings of their journeys. 

Regardless, whenever they spoke, Clementine was always bright eyed and attentive, leaning against the bar to be closer to the two charismatic young men as they regaled her their tale for the evening. 

“Dissent? In the  _ Elite?” _ Clementine repeated dubiously, picking up a glass and idly wiping it clean to busy her hands, eyeing the two men distrustfully. “I don’t buy that for a minute.”

“We’ve seen it with our own eyes!” Marq exclaimed, eyes wide. “When we were trading in Modoc county, just two days ago.” 

“Now, what were two impressionable young gentleman doing anywhere  _ near  _ that awful gang of miscreant cowboys? You weren’t trading with the  _ Elite, _ were you?” Her hands rested on her hips as she stared them down. They weren’t all that much younger than her, of course, but she felt protective of them - even though she would be positively useless trying to  _ actually  _ protect them. In fact, she knew for a fact, after a bar fight not a fortnight prior, that they could more than take care of themselves. 

Still, her point remained: they could get hurt doing business with that so-called ‘vigilante’ group. Yeah,  _ right.  _ Clementine never believed that for a second. Bunch of  _ bullies  _ is what they were, even if all she knew of them were stories that came from her patrons. No, she didn’t like gossip… but she sure did love a good cowboy story.

“Trading with the Elite? Nah…” Isiah drawled, his voice pitching upwards almost an octave, which  _ would  _ have made Clementine assume he was lying, but she knew that he did it to make her laugh, and  _ yes,  _ it worked. Her giggles spilled, unbidden, past her lips, before she caught herself and fixed her faux stern glare at the two. 

“But were we drinkin’ while they were in the same saloon as us? Possibly.” Marq continued. 

Clementine rolled her eyes, half tempted to reach past the bar and smack them upside their heads when movement out the corner of her eye. She stood up a bit straighter, turning towards that saloon doors when her stomach dipped and her heart began to race. These certainly  _ weren’t  _ locals. 

No, it was the  _ Elite.  _ In the flesh, right then and there,  _ all  _ of them. Rounding up the front was a man who was unmistakably the leader of the group, simply by way of how haughtily he carried himself, bright blue eyes Clementine could see from here alight with mischief, his arm wrapped around a smaller woman who looked like she’d rather be  _ anywhere  _ but there. That must have been Cody Rhodes, then, with his… well… Clementine  _ hoped  _ that woman wasn’t his wife. She looked infuriated. 

Behind him rounded out the rest of the crew - all men Clementine was able to recognize from the various stories about the infamous cowboys that she’d been hearing for years now. None other than Nick Jackson was to Cody’s left, looking almost bored, with who must have been his brother Matthew and his wife Ashley to Cody’s right, walking hand in hand and murmuring to each other in low tones that Clementine couldn’t quite hear. 

Towards the back of the crew were two curly haired men, one more blond than the other, leaving Clementine to reason that this was Kenny Omega, and Adam Page. Both were handsome to be sure - well, it could be argued that  _ all  _ members of the gang were beautiful in their own right - but Clementine’s eyes lingered on the surly looking Hangman, his fair eyebrows knit together and tension clearly visible in his shoulders. Kenny, next to him, looked fifty kinds of uncomfortable, while the three before them didn’t seem to care all that much, if they noticed at all. 

“Evening, ladies and gentlemen.” Clementine called out in a steady tone. “What can I get started for all ya’ll?” 

Clementine raised a single eyebrow as the woman on Cody’s arm wiggled out muttering something about ‘no gentlemen here’, followed by the Mrs. Jackson, who had a good natured, half-hidden smile on her face, like she was used to this behavior as they took a seat at one of many empty tables. 

Cody seemed unphased, likely also used to that behavior, stepping right up to the bar. “Your finest whisky, please.” 

Clementine nodded, grabbing the appropriate glass before shifting her eyes to the rest of the group, praising herself internally for not shaking, her shoulders instead back and her chin up as she waited for the others to order. 

“Nothing, thanks.” Nick called, gesturing for his brother and Kenny to follow, the three taking up their own spot at a different table. And so left the last of the cowboys, who was looking somehow  _ far  _ more annoyed than he was when he came in. 

Clementine’s eyes briefly flickered to Marq and Isiah, who each had unreadable expressions on their faces, as they looked between the Elite, who had yet to notice them, to each other, and then to her. Yeah… dissent in the Elite. She could see that a bit more plainly now. There were obvious fractures, particularly stemming from Adam Page, who was still glaring at his ‘friends’. 

“Sir?” Clementine tried again, her voice a hair louder. “What can I get you?” 

Though the expression on his face was sour enough to curdle milk, Clementine couldn’t help but notice that his eyes were downright stunning. A bright blue, like Cody’s, but unlike Cody’s, they didn’t give her the feeling as though she needed to be on her guard. Not quite welcoming, not with that expression, but to Clementine’s surprise, the glare eased up after maybe just half a beat. Still wasn’t friendly by any means, but it wasn’t as harsh. 

“He likes beer.” Isiah called out, a grin on his face like he was greeting a friend. Clementine’s eyes narrowed at the young man, but before she could ask him just  _ how  _ he knew that, the Hangman brightened considerably. 

“Hey, look at that!” Adam cheered, walking straight towards the two and wrapping his arms around their shoulders cheerfully. “What’re the odds?” 

Clementine bit her tongue to keep from saying a damn word as she finally readied the two drinks ordered and placed them before the men in question. Cody simply raised his glass to her in thanks, which she responded to with a terse smile and a small nod, before he joined the other men at their own table, uninterested in the scene playing out before him. 

She wondered, as she looked between the three distinct groups that were the only patrons in the saloon, if the ‘dissent’ in the Elite was really so much as ‘dissent’ rather than the ostracization of one man. Well, it wasn’t as if Clementine was in any position to come to any conclusions. She didn’t know any of these people. 

“Thank you, ma’am.” 

Clementine hummed, tearing herself from her thoughts as the honey sweet voice hit her, her head tilted to the side in confusion before she noticed that it was Adam, and with the softest of smiles playing at his lips, nonetheless, as he took off his hat and set it down in front of him.

“You’re very welcome.” Clementine smiled right back, feeling almost  _ charmed  _ by the handsome, blond cowboy.

“That’s Miss Abbot.” Marq chimed in, seemingly knowing where his friend’s thoughts were, a twinkle in his eyes, raising and lowering his eyebrows suggestively, a motion that turned Clementine’s cheeks pink. 

_ “Miss _ Abbot?” Adam repeated curiously, looking at Marq for a moment before turning his attention right back on her. 

“Clementine.” She corrected, tempted now more so than ever to smack the ever-loving hell out of those boys. 

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Clementine.” He told her, taking a sip of his beer, raising his glass to her in thanks. 

A light smile played at her lips, one that was more involuntary than anything, as her eyes lingered on the Hangman. “Likewise, Mr. Page.” 

* * *

It was amazing, how quickly Clementine and Adam seemed to almost latch onto each other. She was lucky,  _ very  _ lucky, that no one else had come into the saloon after the Elite had, because she was unable to tear herself away from conversation with the cowboy. 

She couldn’t help it - he was so…  _ passionate.  _ Even when the conversation turned to the most mundane of topics, she couldn’t help but feel emboldened,  _ inspired  _ by every word that came out of his handsome mouth. And goodness, he was so  _ kind  _ to her, complimenting her at every turn, giving her that sweet smile that made her nearly melt every single time, and not letting the conversation linger on just him and his stories for too long. 

Adam was eager to learn about  _ her,  _ about her life, her job, her home, her friends. He actually  _ let her  _ speak, unlike any other man who’d ever try to catch her eye, and when she was finished, he was asking her more questions about it, like he was  _ genuinely  _ interested in what she had to say. 

It came to the point where neither Clementine nor Adam noticed that Marq and Isiah had long since left - not until she went to refill Adam’s cup and saw that, on the table, there were enough dollar notes to cover their tab, plus the tip that Clementine insisted they didn’t have to give every time. 

Her cheeks were pink as she put the money in the till, embarrassed at how she didn’t notice two of the loudest people she knew leaving the saloon, but it didn’t stop her from keeping her conversation with Adam going.

“I just… I don’t know.” Clementine sighed, leaning against the other side of the bar and toying with the ends of her hair with her fingers. “I don’t know how to describe it. I know I  _ should  _ be happy where I am. I’ve lived my whole life here happy. But I don’t think I feel happy here anymore. It’s like it’s nothing but the same day repeated over and over again, and I just feel…  _ trapped.” _

A warm, sturdy hand wrapped around hers, giving her only a slight jump in surprise as she look at Adam curiously, only to see him give her a look so horribly sad and sympathetic that it tugged at her heart, and made her wonder just  _ what  _ the Elite did to him to give him that look. 

“I know how you feel.” Adam murmured lowly, still all too aware of the group of men just across the saloon, the last remaining patrons in. “The Elite… I was happy there once. But now, it just feels like-”

“Hey, Adam.” 

Clementine stood up straighter and fixed the one that had interrupted them, Kenny, with a brief glare as Adam tore his hand from hers and hid both of his under the counter. The other man’s voice was soft, careful - and to his credit, he looked  _ very  _ uncomfortable earlier when Clementine was still paying attention to the group as a whole - but she was still wary. 

“Yeah, Kenny, what’s up?” Adam asked, his voice light, but there was an underlying tenseness to it. 

“I, uh. Just wanted to let you know. We’re all heading out for the night, to the inn.” Kenny gestured with his head to everyone leaving without sparing Adam so much as a second glance, before his gaze flickered to Clementine for just a brief moment, then back to Adam. “Uh… I figured you might be staying, but I just wanted to tell you that we were going.” 

There was almost a brief flicker of understanding between the two, but truth be told, as someone who was seeing all of this from such an outsider’s perspective, Clementine couldn’t be sure. 

Adam nodded once, his jaw set firmly in place. “Got it. Thanks.” 

“Uh… yeah.” Kenny said awkwardly, taking a step back, looking back at the last two to leave, the two women who were with the eldest Jackson brother and the much shorter woman who looked far less irate after spending time talking to someone who wasn’t her presumed husband. “Have a good night.”

“You too.” Adam replied, looking at his lap as Kenny filed out last, leaving the two of them alone in the bar. Clementine looked dutifully away as well, turning her back for a moment to grab a wash rag before something else caught her eye.

“Oh,  _ hell.”  _ Clementine gaped, looking at the clock behind her. “Adam! For goodness sake, look at the time.” 

Adam’s eyes widened as he saw what she had - that the bar had to have been closed at least two hours by now. Which meant it’d been at least  _ three  _ hours since everybody had already gone for the night. “Oh… oops.” 

“‘Oops’.” Clementine repeated with a playful scoff, shaking her head and taking the glass from him that’d long since been emptied and began to wipe it down. “Could ya do me a favor? Just put up all those chairs on top of the tables for me, please?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Adam nodded as he stood to do just that, a small, secretive smile playing at Clementine’s lips as she watched him go before she got herself into gear, putting everything away that ought to be put away; the money in the safe, the glasses in their spots, et cetera. 

“So, Miss Clementine…” Adam drawled as they both finished around the same time, a hopeful expression playing at his pretty face. 

“Yes, Mr. Page?” Clementine teased right back as she stepped out from behind the bar, taking her coat from the rack nearby and draping it over her shoulders. 

“Would you, er…” Adam’s cheeks were a frankly adorable shade of pink as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking awkward, but Clementine thought it was so endearing. “Perhaps accompany me on a walk?” 

“It’s three in the morning, Mr. Page.” Clementine reminded him gently, an amused smile tipping up the corners of her lips. Poor Adam looked so lost, opening and closing his mouth like a fish, which Clementine  _ did  _ watch for a few moments just for the fun of it, before she relented and rested a hand on his bearded cheek. “Oh, alright.”

The two made idle chat as they walked arm in arm as Adam lead his horse with him with a lazy hand and a lead, the light from the full moon more than illuminating the path before them. Soon after, his horse was tied loosely to the branch of a nearby tree with plenty of room to graze as they laid on their backs atop the blanket they’d pulled from Adam’s pack, Clementine’s head resting on Adam’s muscular chest, her hand draped lazily over his waist, and the two simply stared up at the moon and the stars. 

“Do you ever think about…” Clementine began before her voice trailed off, nibbling at her lower lip as her eyebrows furrowed. A frown was marring her face before Adam’s thumb gently soothed that spot between her eyebrows, a motion that relaxed her and sent a small smile up his way. “Just… getting out of the Elite? Running far, far away, where they can’t find you?” 

A humorless chuckle slipped past Adam’s lips as he continued to softly stroke Clementine’s face, now with the back of his fingers trailing up and down her cheek. “I tried. Months and months ago. Didn’t seem to, ah… work. Clearly.” 

Clementine gnawed at her inner cheek as she took that in, staring up at the Hangman with sympathy. She sort of knew how that felt… but he already knew that. “I’m sorry.”

“You ain’t got nothin’ to be sorry for, doll.” Adam murmured, moving his fingers now to gently finger comb through her hair, a motion that sent involuntary shivers down Clementine’s spine, her chin tilted up to be closer to him as his dipped lower. She could practically taste his every breath, they were so close - like beer and just a hint of something else Clementine couldn’t describe. 

“Still.” She whispered, though there was nobody around for at least a mile. “You should be able to leave if you’re not happy there.” 

His voice was just as hushed as he spoke right back to her, like if they were any louder they’d be caught, like a pair of lovestruck teenagers sneaking out of their parents house. “Who’s to say I’d be happier on my own?” 

Clementine  _ swore  _ she’d never been so bold in her life, even  _ thinking  _ about this… but, she supposed, Adam had a way of bringing out the bravery in her. “What if you weren’t on your own?” 

There was a tense, pregnant pause as Adam’s fingers stilled in her hair before he sat up, gently guiding her to sit up with him, the pair silhouetted by the light of the full moon, and though they were in a different position than before, they were, physically, just as close as they were a moment before once Adam carefully put his large hand on the back of her head and urged her to come closer. 

Hell, they were  _ closer  _ than they were just before, now with their noses brushing up against each others, their foreheads resting up against the others. 

“Then, I suppose…” Adam’s voice was so quiet that Clementine was sure that if even the slightest breeze came by she’d be unable to hear. “I’d be a happier man.” 

Her eyelashes fluttered shut as she tilted her head just  _ ever  _ so slightly closer, their lips barely brushing up against one another’s now, a motion that sent her heart racing and her stomach in flips. “Adam…” 

“Clementine…” Adam murmured, every syllable of her name giving a new sensation to the almost-kiss. “Run away with me.” 

She knew the question  _ should  _ have given her more pause. It  _ should  _ have made her push him away. It would have made any other woman run to the safety of her little home in a town that never changed in hopes of a more ‘normal’ husband in the future… but it didn’t for Clementine. 

Instead, her answer was immediate. It was barely even a beat after the words left Adam’s lips. There was no fear, there were no second thoughts, no question in her mind that what she was doing was the right thing. It was time, it was far  _ past  _ the time, for her to be set  _ free,  _ for  _ Adam  _ to be set free. 

And so, as they sealed their fate with an electrifying kiss, as they stood and eagerly began to get his horse ready for a journey into the great unknown, as their hair blowing in the wind as they rode, her arms wrapped around him and her cheek to his back, Clementine’s answer to  _ her  _ Adam still played at her lips. 

_ “Yes.”  _

**Author's Note:**

> zackmephisto dot tumblr dot com


End file.
